The present invention relates generally to verifying authenticity, and more particularly to verifying authenticity in data storage management systems.
The need for high performance information technology systems is driven by several factors. In many industries, critical information technology applications require outstanding levels of service. At the same time, the world is experiencing an information explosion as more and more users demand timely access to a huge and steadily growing mass of data such as large databases or high quality multimedia content. The users also demand that information technology solutions protect data and perform securely.
Modern computer networks carry large amounts of data among many computer systems. This information is typically stored within high-capacity data storage systems that can be interconnected to form a computer network referred to as a storage area network. A typical storage area network includes host computer systems, typically referred to as servers, which connect through a switching fabric (e.g., one or more storage area network switches) to a group of data storage systems to gain access to the stored data on behalf of client computer systems (e.g., end user computers) that request the data. Users responsible for managing resources in the storage area network (“network managers”) often use storage area network management software to manage the configuration and operation of resources such as host computer systems, switches, data storage systems, and associated software applications and hardware devices within the storage area network, and rely on such software to perform in a highly secure way.